Surfing begins at Rip Curl Pro

SURFING at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach kicked off today (Monday, April 11) in wind-affected three-to-five foot waves on the Bells Bowl.

The competition – the fourth stop on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour (CT) – completed the first eight heats of the men’s Opening Round as the world’s best surfers hit the water at Bells for the first time in three years.

The opening day of the men’s competition saw mixed results for the big names with World No.1 Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) and World No. 2 Kelly Slater (USA) both progressing through to the Round of 32, while event wildcard and three-time World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) fell short in his heat.

11-time World Champion Slater was the first to land a wave in Heat 3 against Owen Wright (AUS), who earned the highest score of the heat with a 7.17 (out of a possible 10) on his opening wave.

As the swell continued to grow throughout the heat, Wright took advantage and clinched the winning total with his trademark backhand swoops, progressing to the top spot with Slater trailing just behind in the second progressing spot.

Nat Young (USA) placed third in the heat and will surf in the Elimination Round when the competition continues.

“It’s nice to see everyone down here,” Slater said. “I know the last few years have been tough and strange for everybody on all sides of the equation, but everybody seems happy to be here and smiling, and we’ve got a little wave which is nice. It’s good to get started and get back to it.

“This is my 30th year at Bells, my first event here was in 1992 and I got smoked by Tom Curren and finished in equal 31st. It is really good to be back, though.”

Reigning world No.1 Igarashi showed he has no intention of taking his foot off the gas, posting the highest two-wave total of the day with a 16.24 (out of a possible 20) heat total ahead of Peru’s Lucca Mesinas and Jan Juc wildcard Tully Wylie, who has a second chance in the Elimination Round.

Igarashi’s power and finesse were a perfect match for the waves on offer as the Olympic silver medalist sets his sights on his best result at Bells Beach.

“That high score felt really good,” Igarashi said. “I’ve missed Bells so it’s good to be back, see old friends, and just come back to a place that I really love.

“I struggled with this wave my first years on Tour but I just fell in love with the place over the years while I’ve been trying to master it and today was a classic day on the bowl.

“Wearing the yellow jersey feels nice, everyone can see me – but seriously though it is an honour to be wearing it and I feel proud to be wearing it.

“I’ve seen all my heroes wear it and it is confirmation that I’m doing the right thing I guess but it’s only early in the year and I still have a lot of work to do. But this year I want to win the World Title.”

CT rookie Samuel Pupo (BRA) upset the competition with the win over four-time Bells winner Mick Fanning (AUS) and Filipe Toledo (BRA) in Heat 5 of the Opening Round.

Pupo started the heat with a bang, posting a 7.50 (out of a possible 10) on his opening wave then backed it up soon after and will advance to the Round of 32 alongside Toledo, while Fanning was relegated to the Elimination Round.

“I got a lot of confidence from that heat,” Pupo said.

“My brother and I spoke before the heat about having a strong start and that I have to get a good one early so when I posted that score on my first wave it felt really good. I’m hoping to carry that confidence into my next round.”

The first men’s Opening Round heat saw Australia’s Callum Robson and Ryan Callinan dominate the heat, sending World No. 5 Seth Moniz (HAW) to the Elimination Round. In a three-to-five foot swell, all surfers struggled to get points on the board early, but last-minute waves from Robson and Callinan solidified their position on the board with Robson taking the top progressing spot.

2019 Bells Beach winner John John Florence (HAW) faced an all-Australian lineup of Connor O’Leary (AUS) and Jackson Baker (AUS) in Heat 8. World.

No. 23 Baker, who is right below the new mid-season cutline, had the highest scoring wave of the heat with a 7.17 (out of a possible 10) to win the heat over Florence by 0.4. This heat sent World No. 15 O’Leary to the Elimination Round.

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Opening Round 1 (Heats 1-8) Results:

• HEAT 1: Callum Robson (AUS) 11.33 DEF. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 11.23, Seth Moniz (HAW) 6.73
• HEAT 2: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 12.83 DEF. Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 10.73, Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 8.46
• HEAT 3: Owen Wright (AUS) 12.44 DEF. Kelly Slater (USA) 12.04, Nat Young (USA) 8.37
• HEAT 4: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 13.27 DEF. Mikey Wright (AUS) 12.67, Griffin Colapinto (USA) 11.76
• HEAT 5: Samuel Pupo (BRA) 13.23 DEF. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 12.23, Mick Fanning (AUS) 6.73
• HEAT 6: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 16.24 DEF. Lucca Mesinas (PER) 11.17, Tully Wylie (AUS) 9.36
• HEAT 7: Frederico Morais (PRT) 10.33 DEF. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 9.67, Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) 7.23
• HEAT 8: Jackson Baker (AUS) 13.77 DEF. John John Florence (HAW) 13.37, Connor O’Leary (AUS) 9.43

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Opening Round 1 (Heats 9-12) Matchups:

• HEAT 9: Conner Coffin (USA) vs. Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Joao Chianca (BRA)
• HEAT 10: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Jack Robinson (AUS) vs. Jadson Andre (BRA)
• HEAT 11: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Jake Marshall (USA) vs. Deivid Silva (BRA)
• HEAT 12: Barron Mamiya (HAW) vs. Ethan Ewing (AUS) vs. Morgan Cibilic (AUS)

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Women’s Opening Round 1:

• Heat 1: Lakey Peterson (USA), Gabriela Bryan (HAW), Courtney Conlogue (USA)
• Heat 2: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
• Heat 3: Carissa Moore (HAW), Isabella Nichols (AUS), Alyssa Spencer (USA)
• Heat 4: Brisa Hennessy (CRI), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Molly Picklum (AUS)
• Heat 5: Johanne Defay (FRA), India Robinson (AUS), Luana Silva (HAW)
• Heat 6: Malia Manuel (HAW), Tyler Wright (AUS), Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW)

For more information, head to the WSL’s website.